Authorities: Shots ring out at Tipton County graduation party, send one to hospital

TIPTON COUNTY, Tenn. -- Multiple agencies are investigating a shooting in Munford that happened during a high school graduation party and sent one young woman to the hospital.

Police said it happened around 1 a.m. and then said about half an hour later, they got a shooting call in Covington.

When Patricia Wakefield said a graduation party could be hosted at her business in Munford, she never expected to hear someone would be shot at it.

Wakefield said police told her about the shooting when she was going back to the business, Wakefield’s Elegant Occasions, to close up for the night.

She’d rented it out to a group celebrating Covington High School’s graduation and couldn’t believe the event ended in bullets being sprayed down Quinton Drive.

“It was, I can’t really explain it, but it was really horrifying for me," she said.

Sources tell WREG a 19-year-old woman was shot and rushed to the hospital.

“The young lady, I graduated with her grandmother and it’s just so, I’m just overwhelmed right now," said Wakefield. "I’m just hurting and right now, I just want to give up. I don’t want to do this anymore.”

It’s not clear yet what exactly led to the shooting, but Wakefield said she doesn’t plan on having any more graduation parties because of this.

“You just never know.”

The window at a church next door was also shattered by bullets.

Police then said at about 1:30 a.m., a parked car was shot at the Cottonwood apartment complex across the county on Cottonwood Place.

Munford police aren’t sure yet what led to that shot being fired, but they said no one was in the car and no one got hurt.

Different agencies are investigating to see if the two incidents are related, while community members just hope people can learn to put down the guns.

“It’s just senseless shooting and senseless killing, and people just need to love each other," said Wakefield. "Life is so precious.”

Police haven’t identified any suspects yet. If you have any information that could help lead to an arrest, you’re asked to call TBI, Covington Police or the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office.